Make it large

A young man approached a Zen master to find solution to his unhappiness.  The sage told him to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then drink it. The young man immediately spat it out.

The sage then asked him to take another handful of salt and put it in a lake and told him to drink the water. The young man did not find it repulsive now.

The teacher said: ‘the pain of life is akin to salt. But the intensity we taste as 'pain' depends on the container we put it into. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things... Stop being a small glass, become a large lake!’

So often, so many of us find ourselves in pain or hurt or failure. We feel let down by a person or the situation. We cast ourselves as victims as our unhappiness arises from a feeling of futility. And since we see the situation through a narrow cone, the intensity of the hurting gets magnified.

Now, imagine seeing that person or that situation from a perspective of a longer timeline. We may be playing blind to the larger picture and focussing only on the exception. It is pertinent to note that a timeline dilutes the intensity of pain. Similarly when we see a singular negative experience in context of a larger set of experiences, our interpretation tends to alter.

We must allow every emotion to move beyond victimhood reactions. We must see every person, every action and every situation from the larger perspective of a longer timeline. This is not to dilute the reality of the person or the action or the situation; but it will certainly dilute the intensity of pain and empower our response to cope with that person or that action or that situation.

Make it large... a perspective that’s sane...

The lake, not the glass, will ease the pain!

~ Pravin K Sabnis

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Ink it

Don't just think it. Ink it! - Mark Victor Hansen

The best way to see our thoughts is to write them down. When we ‘ink’ our thoughts, they come in sight in a greater visual perspective. We can add or detract effortlessly. We can change or develop them better. 

We can reorganise and rearrange the thoughts. We can create strategies. We can define purposes. We can outline plans of action.

Besides pen, we can use pencils or colours. We can use chalk on slate. We can inscribe on sand with a stick. We can scribble on a wet surface. 

We can use twigs and sticks to make various formations. We can shape out or carve in clay. We can write on touchscreens.

When we ‘ink it’ we are better placed for immediate exertion as well as a recall tool for the future. When we face our own thoughts, we see them for what they really are.

The thought in our mind needs exposure

‘Ink it’ for deeper insights and disclosure!

~ Pravin K Sabnis

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Waste to Worth

In the early 1950s, loads of waste was left over when Chandigarh, designed by Le Corbusier, was built up. A road inspector had a vision of creating art out of the bits and pieces of the litter dump around the city. He created a fantasy, which he called the Rock Garden.

 

Passages of rock and concrete open out into spaces with human figures studded with tiles and marble. Walls are studded with broken tiles, bathroom fixtures, old crockery and switchgear. Discarded water pots form fences. 

Whimsy birds fashioned of concrete sit on the roof of a little hut. A waterfall cascades over an open-air theatre paved with broken slate. Turquoise bangles make peacocks. An upturned enamel basin serves as a soldier’s hat!

 

The Rock Garden is a legacy that will live even though its creator, Nek Chand Saini is no more! He was honoured across the world for his work. India conferred the Padma Shri, France awarded Grande Medaille de Vermeil. His achievement is spectacular as he had no formal training in the art of sculpture. 

 

While beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, some draw out this beauty from what seems to be useless and allow others to see it as well. Nek Chand’s fantasy teaches us that nothing is really waste… and that everything can be turned into a piece of art… when positive vision is backed with proactive action.

 

What seems waste can have great worth,
Positive returns await a proactive effort!

 

~ Pravin K Sabnis

 

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EATING

We need to take an honest look at our eating habits to understand and make changes if required. We cannot change what we do not accept. The change will begin with observation and acceptance. There are broadly four types of eating. 

 

Fuel Eating is when we eat foods that support our body and its needs.  This is a good habit of eating real, whole, natural, minimally processed foods that provide us with energy and nourishment and feel good in our body. 

 

Fun Eating is eating foods that we love but do not give much back.  These taste great but don’t offer any real nutritional value, like cake, potato chips, candy, etc.).  We must eat them on a fewer occasions just for the joy they bring.

 

Fog Eating is anytime you eat without awareness, like eating while watching tv or the mobile.  It is neither enjoyable nor purposeful; it’s an unconscious activity that we are not even aware we are doing.  We must refrain from fog eating.  

 

Storm Eating is binge eating or eating out of control.  We may be aware that we are overeating but we can’t control. This happens if we let ourselves get too hungry or as a reaction to an overwhelming emotion. It is often followed by regret and shame, and many times it is done in private or in hiding.

 

We must be conscious of our eating habits. By identifying these patterns, we can develop greater awareness, differentiate between physical hunger and emotional cravings, and cultivate a more balanced relationship with food.  

 

Cultivate consciousness in those tasty bits

Create the right balance in what you eat!

 

~ Pravin K Sabnis

 

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Blind Tradition

 

Too many people hold on to traditions they don’t understand, customs they never questioned, and practices that no longer make sense in today’s world. Tradition without questioning can trap generations into following an irrational path 

 

We like to do things because ‘this is how my grandmother used to do it’, ‘this is how my father did it.’ We do things without first asking why. Our ability to think and discern is sacrificed at the altar of unquestioned traditions. Sense is needed more than sentiments.

 

We inherit traditions but what happens when what we inherit is not  understood for the context and relevance which may have changed with time? There are traditions that are meaningful and relevant even today. But there are many customs which are neither aligned to logic nor common good. 

 

So often, so many of us carry forward the habits, beliefs, and fears of our elders without realizing how deeply they shape our thought processes, choices, relationships, and even our responses to opportunities. We exist in a new reality but blindly follow old practices without confirming their relevance.

 

Buddha said, ‘do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations; do not believe in anything because it is rumoured and spoken by many… After observation and analysis, when it agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and gain of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.’

 

Use the questioning mind, let logic dwell

Wisdom lies beyond blind tradition spell

 

~ Pravin K Sabnis

 

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Intouchable

Philippe Pozzo di Borgo, a wealthy French aristocrat and Abdel Sellou, his Algerian caregiver, formed an unlikely friendship that inspired film 'The Intouchables'.

In 1993, Philippe, a quadriplegic due to a paragliding accident, met Abdel, a young Algerian immigrant with a troubled past, including time in prison for theft. Despite their differences, they formed a strong bond, with Abdel becoming Philippe's caregiver and confidant.

Abdel's irreverent humor and carefree attitude helped Philippe overcome his depression and find joy in life again. Together, they shared adventures, like racing through Paris in Philippe's modified wheelchair and playing pranks on each other.

The title has a dual meaning. In the beginning, Driss is reluctant to care for Philippe, seeing him as "untouchable" due to his disability, similar to the historical discrimination Driss faces himself. Later, the two become "intouchable" in a figurative sense, becoming a team that can overcome any obstacle and is no longer held back by their limitations.

Their story continues to inspire, showcasing the power of friendship and human connection. When we truly connect as humane beings, we unite just as we are meant to be... members of the same team!

Two human beings can never be untouchable

Connect to become one and truly intouchable

~ Pravin K Sabnis

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Arusuvai

Arusuvai is a Tamil term meaning ‘six tastes’. It refers to the traditional South Indian culinary principle of balancing sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent flavours in food to make it healthy and complete 

 According to Ayurveda too, different tastes come from different minerals needed by our body. So consuming it with every meal helps with our physical wellness. A balanced meal should contain preparations that have all these tastes.

 

The habit of developing varied taste preferences, is achieved through repeated exposure and mindful consumption. We can train our brain to appreciate new flavours by consistently trying new foods, focusing on all our senses while eating and allowing our brain time to adapt. 

 

Our brain takes around 8-15 tries to adapt to a new taste. Beyond the taste, we must pay attention to the smell, texture and even the sounds the food makes. Hence we must avoid ‘fog eating,’ where you eat without being present. We must give our senses more time to process the food.

 

 We must try a wide variety of foods to be exposed to new flavour profiles through the practice of Arusuvai. Besides health benefits, Arusuvai develops an open mind to different cuisines. Rather than insist on the same old single taste, we welcome the rich diversity that is served by others.

 

Arusuvai makes for a palate so fine,

With all flavours bringing joy divine!

 

~ Pravin K Sabnis

 

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